Bottle or Keg?

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Jaxford

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Question to you in the know...

I've been brewing for a little while and am at a point where I could use some advice. I'm trying to determine if I should ditch the bottles and go to Kegs.

Honestly I'm a little intimidated by keging. Seems complex and expensive. Also there is something "traditional" about bottling.

The questions...

1. What does it cost to keg for an occasional brewer like me like me and is it really worth it if I only brew 3-4 times per year?

2. Does it save time? I'm thinking - save bottle, wash bottle, sanitize bottle. bottle beer, etc.

3. Does it add or take away from the brew method... change fermentation, temp, that sort of thing?

Thoughts?
 
Question to you in the know...

I've been brewing for a little while and am at a point where I could use some advice. I'm trying to determine if I should ditch the bottles and go to Kegs.

Honestly I'm a little intimidated by keging. Seems complex and expensive. Also there is something "traditional" about bottling.

The questions...

1. What does it cost to keg for an occasional brewer like me like me and is it really worth it if I only brew 3-4 times per year?

2. Does it save time? I'm thinking - save bottle, wash bottle, sanitize bottle. bottle beer, etc.

3. Does it add or take away from the brew method... change fermentation, temp, that sort of thing?

Thoughts?
 
1. It's about $200 to get a keg, regulator, and CO2 bottle.
2. There's only one container to clean and sanitize, so it takes a lot less time.
3. The big change in process is that you can carbonate without using priming sugar.

I love kegs because I hate doing 48 bottles all at once.
But if you like bottling then it's a bit pricey.
 
I went to the Tap-a-Draft system as it lets my use a small tank for a somewhat kegged beer and still be able to bottle some that I can stash away for longer storage. It really works as a mid-way system.
 
I just picked up my first keg system and a spare keg, that was a about 250 shipped. When I look at how much I have to worry about with losing infected batches from a scratched bottling bucket (at least 3)- then it's really worth it.
 
I went to the Tap-a-Draft system as it lets my use a small tank for a somewhat kegged beer and still be able to bottle some that I can stash away for longer storage. It really works as a mid-way system.

I like this because it gives you the opportunity to bottle age too. What does it take to do this (cost and gear)?
 
I spent $20 / keg (purchased used kegs off of restraunts at the deposit cost), got a free regulator with a gas ball connect and line, and I got a 20# CO2 tank for $80.

The CO2 tank will last me forever and all I did to the regulator was replace the guages. I need to buy some kind of a beer out connection and thats it. So far I'm doing pretty good budget wise. A regulator will run about $70-$75 shipped from an online store.

CDN prices btw. Our dollar is different from the USD one again:mad:
 
If you really only brew 3-4 times a year it hardly seems worth the effort & money to get set up for kegging,IMO. BUT..maybe if you go to kegging you'll brew more often. That's definitely worth it.

I would love to switch to kegging, but I don't have the space(no garage)
 
I like this because it gives you the opportunity to bottle age too. What does it take to do this (cost and gear)?

A Tap-a-draft set up runs about 60-70 bucks from multiple suppliers. The beer is stored in large bottles in the fridge and charged with small CO2 cartridges. Certainly not a keg system, but I generally drink a glass of beer every other day or so and it fits my consumption needs just fine.

The archives will tell lots of info on this product, some like it and others have had trouble. Mine had a leak that once solved with a phone call back to the maker has worked perfectly ever since.
 
If its only once or twice a year i suggest to stick with bottling. Otherwise you will feel the need to brew more and quite frankly that would be a crime
 
My god, I just transferred to a keg for the first time tonight. I had everything cleaned, sanitized, filled, and I'm wrapping up my FG reading and cleaning right now. Over all it will take no more than 1.5 hours... I'd just now be placing caps if I were bottling.

I'm picking up a fridge this weekend and start the kegerator conversion. Kegging will keep me brewing on a consistent basis from now on because I loathed bottling so much. Thank you keg, thank you.
 
I did the same thing last night! What a hoot. I can't imagine bottling. Now it's the wait for the carbonation.
 
Even if you are only brewing a couple of times a year I think kegging is the way to go. One 5 gallon vessel VS.... 53 - 26
 
In reference to TAD system-

I like this because it gives you the opportunity to bottle age too. What does it take to do this (cost and gear)?

You can:

A. Split your brew between bottling bucket and keg and adjust your priming sugar and bottle

B. Use the sticky "We don't need no stinking beer gun" method after kegging and carbing your beer

Just pointing out that you can age in bottle and keg as well.
 
Yes, start kegging asap! Bottling is for the birds! True there is an up front cost w/ kegging, however, most kegging set ups have resale value and don't depreciate all that much...now how's that for a persuasive argument to keg.
 
The other thing to consider is that once you go to kegging, you WILL drink more beer. Just like kegging is more efficient and easier than bottling, drinking a beer from a kegerator is more efficient and easier! The worst part is it's hard to know when your keg is running out. So always have a batch in another keg waiting for the inevitable.
 
The main reason I quit brewing 15 years ago was I got tired of messing with all those frakking bottles.

Now that I'm back brewing again, I only keg. The math is simple for me: 1 keg, or 54 bottles.

Plus, I have DRAFT beer.

:mug:
 
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